No worries, we can sell it ourselves.
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"Well then, I guess the Bazaar will be our first stop tomorrow morning before we tackle the Crow." Saria smiles at the rest of the party, eager to see more of the vast city.
She then addresses Natalya "I'm sorry to bother you with more questions after what you just went through, but you're the only one here with knowledge of what to expect at the Crow. You mentioned demon spiders, do you remember any other dangers we need to be careful of, besides those and the Tower Girls? And how exactly do we get inside?"
"Those were long ago, all I saw were rats. Which Ayala has been rounding up. There was a door we couldn't get through. It was so hot it would burn you if you touched it. There is a sort of alcove at the water line, people have used it to camp before, based on the evidence of past fires. The door was concealed there for who knows how long before I found it." Natalaya is down to sniffles and a quiet voice, but looks ready to start crying again any moment.
Is this door easy to find now, or still concealed?
"They've likely concealed it again, but I don't know for sure. Most of the Tower Girls stay in the upper levels."
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"One last thing," Captain Heidmarch says. "Each of the Shards is cursed, and it's abilites will not fully unlock for anyone under the curse." She holds out a pale blue rhomboid ioun stone. "You will need this for the Shard of GreedI. Be careful not to handle it without inserting that."
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After thoroughly resting and preparing, the group heads to Dockway where Captain Heidmarch has arranged a rowboat for the recruits use. It doesn't take much time to get to the Crow.
The ten thousand year old piling rises two hundred and twenty feet into the air, and is two hundred or so feet wide at the waterline. Who knows how deep it goes unto the earth below the water.
A tall lancet arch at water level leads into a chamber at sea level within the side of the Crow. Inside is what was once a small, stepped terrace, now filled with sea water to the level of its top step. Three rowboats a re tied off to heavy stones placed on this step. Above, the ceiling rises almost all the way up to the top of the monument-an opening leads off this shaft to the west near the ceiling. At the west end of this room lies a small alcove whose floor shows the stains of countless campfires-the back wall of this alcove has broken through, revealing a passageway beyond.
"Well then, I guess rhe passageway through that broken wall is the one Natalya found and told us about. But with those other boats here, I'm guessing we're bound to find more of the Tower Girls inside." Saria looks around and upwards toward the ceiling, spotting the opening on the west side and pointing at it.
"That's the only other entrance I can see. How high do you think that is?"
Zadira looks up.
Wow, couldn't say for sure, but likely about say, two hundred feet, maybe a little more? We have that much rope if you were thinking of climbing it, but not sure climbing would actually be less trouble, and we don't really know exactly where we are going. ... That said though, we do have this ring of feather fall, so we could afford to be persistent if we have the time. One person could climb up wearing the ring just in case, then drop it down for the next person.
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Once the boat is tied up, the recruits can take a moment to look into the exposed passageway that the Tower Girls haven't sealed or re-hidden yet.
Rubble from the colla psed wall has been pushed out into the chamber. Traces of recent habitation-bits of trash and rubbish and the odd piece of clothing or equipment-are scattered here and there, though the room now appears to be unused. There is a stone stairway to the north, and a narrow passage south.
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Eskander spends the boat ride sketching the approach to the Crow, and begins taking notes when they get inside. Seeing the darkness enclose the room, he removes a small crystal which begins to glow with a dim light,
This is fascinating, I mean, its long been speculated that there were rooms and complexes within the ancient structures, but to actually see it. And we'll get rewarded for their discovery! Amazing. Remembering the other reasons they are there, he quiets down again, [smaller]Should we start on the left? Seems like there's less structure that way and we maybe can work our way around to the north? he asks the others. He puts away his notes, and grips his spear with one hand while keeping the dim crystal in his other.
Wait here a moment and I will go ahead a little bit and scout.
She proceeds through the entrance to the left , moving carefully and quietly in her element .
The foul odor and suspicious stains on the floor reveal that this chamber was used as a privy within the last few weeks. Huddled in one corner are the rotten remains of a small dog. There are no other exits visible.
Zadira holds her breath and looks around the small area quickly, just to be sure there is nothing else there, then she goes to check the other area
(+2 vs undead, just in case that small dog is going to rise and come after us)
Zadira quickly looks over the filthy corner and realizes two things. First, there is nothing but filth in this room and sticking around lingerie than necessary is likely to get one sick, and second, that isn't a dog. It's a rat the size of a dog!
Impressed at how easily Zadira seemed to blend into the shadows as she sneaked inside the passage, Saria nevertheless kept a careful watch over the passage, crossbow at the ready.
Hearing the report back about the room, Eskander quickly adds it to his map of the Crow and waits patiently for Zadira to report back about the next tunnel.
The little alcove is just a little nook they've been throwing trash into. Zadira kicks the refuse with her toe and turns up nothing interesting.
Zadira returns to the party with nothing to report, but at least they can move forward into the next area.
Bel watched as Zadira returned, ready to move onto the next area since there was nothing in the tunnel she had just searched.
Between two curving stairwells lies a small landing. Three stone boxes, their lids raised, stand lined up against the east wall. A fine yellow powder surrounds them on the floor.
"So, we're already crossing "Explore smelly Tower Girl Hideout" from our to do list for today?" Saria comments with a slight chuckle as they enter the passageway after Zadira's return and senses the smell coming from the privy room.
As the party reaches the landing between the stairwells and notices the powder around the boxes, Saria comments on her unfamiliarity with it: "I don't think I've seen powder like that before. Does anyone know what that powder might be?"
She then carefully approaches the next set of stairs and listens attentively for any noise coming from above.
Bel studied the fine yellow powder on the floor around the opened stone boxes. Hearing Saria's question, she discreetly answered, "The dust's neutralised ungol dust. It looks like it was used as a trap on the looted boxes."
She followed Saria's lead and quietly joined her by the stairs and listened/looked for any threat.
Zadira moves up the stairs, scouting ahead.
Pillars line the center of this long hall. At the far end is a low rostrum, the dusty stumps of ancient votive candles lining its outer edge. Two of these have been knocked over. Colorful murals of Thassilon pilgrims and giants marching over an intact Irespan cover the walls. A narrow stairwell is on the west wall.
Hearing some noises from above, Saria first looks at Bel for confirmation before turning towards the rest of the party, commenting in a quiet voice:
"There's something up there, we can hear some noises coming down the stairs - seems like scratching and sqeaking. Natalya did mention giant rats, so that's probably what it is. Be ready in case Zadira needs our help."
It all looks abandoned, so Zadira goes back and tells the group that it looks all clear.
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"Hmm, if the room is empty, maybe what we heard were just some mice scurrying along inside the walls? It's not a bad idea to be careful though" Saria replies as Zadira finishes reporting back. As the party enter the new room, Saria will be attentively trying to spot whatever might have made those noises.
Saria spots the rat first. It is really, really big with fur that almost looks streaked with blonde highlights. It looks directly at the approaching people and she could swear it's eyes widen in a human-like expression of surprise. It squeaks what almost sounds like mild profanity and rushes up the stairs.
Zadira lets the rat go... if she had had a chance to shoot it, she would have, but it was too late now. If it was a druid and gave warning, it wasn't going to make things any better by trying to give chase now. They'd face them soon enough.
She takes the time to look behind all of the murals, also checking them out to see if they are worth anything.
Now that the whole party is here she also examines the rostrum.
Eskander jots a quick note in his journal, awkwardly holding his spear in the crook of his left arm while writing. He peers intently at the artwork, and seeing Zadira approach the rostrum, he follows suit, still with his journal in hand.
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Saria hesitates as she sees the rat, its strange reaction leaving her surprised for just enough time for it to run upstairs.
"Did that rat look, er, human-like to anyone else?"
Come on Saria, you're probably imagining things. But it's not a bad idea to be careful right?
While part of her wants to join Zadira and Eskander as they examine and document the decorations along the room, she decides to approach the upstairs instead and listen to whatever sounds might be coming from above - just in case the rat went to warn someone else.
Bel hadn't noticed what Saria had seen - she had only heard the scritchy-scratching and pattering. In lowered voice, concerned at Saria'sdescription of the creature, she answered "I didn't see it, Saria. All I heard was the sounds." A human-like rat? Argh. I better be midnful.
Bel moved carefully over to the rostrum to examine it, as Zadira was doing. Another set of eyes couldn't hurt.
Standing a few feet from the rostrum, Eskander takes a note, human-like rat seen by Saria... Saria? Would you say it had intelligence in its eyes? apparently more concerned with marking things down than what's immediately around him.
The rostrum is covered in dust to the point where it is obvious to even an untrained eye that there are fresh footprints on it. The look elven or smaller human, perhaps women's bootpeints mixed with rat tracks in a variety of sizes from big to really big.
The murals look to be in decent shape, and with some restoration could be rather nice pieces of historical artwork, but they're pained on the walls, so their value is tied to the discovery of these interior chambers.
Saria replies to Bel, matching her tone and looking up the stairwell: "It fled up those stairs pretty quickly. Something just seemed... odd... about how it reacted to us, but I'm not sure what. Or maybe I'm just imagining things. As she tries to recall what exactly gave her that "human-like" feeling, Eskander 's question provides the answer.
"Yes, I'd say it had intelligence in its eyes! It looked directly at us as we were entering the room, and its eyes almost seemed to widen in surprise, like how you'd expect a person to react. I think that's what felt so "human-like" to me."
I think they already know we're here, but I'll go ahead and scout a little bit ahead anyway... if I shout though, come quick.
Zadira heads towards the next area, keeping an eye out for rats and women wearing small boots.
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"I'll keep just behind you and help. Two light of feet and keen of eye will be of benefit."
In the dimmer or darker areas, Bel would use her darkvision to see and her ears to hear sounds. She recollected Saria's warning of a human-like rat and she'd seen the larger rat tracks on the rostrum. The womens' boot prints were also an interesting discovery.
By the dirty and dusty rostrum, Eskander tucks his journal away, waiting nervously for Bel and Zadira to return. He asks Saria in the meantime, So do you imagine this was a rat possessed by a person, or a rat which has somehow developed intelligence? Your first impressions are valuable for our travelogue we're compiling here...
The team slowly and quietly climbs the stairs. And climbs. And climbs. Based on the number of stairs and the frequency of landings in the narrow stairwell, they appear to have ascended about four floors.
Zadira peaks around every corner and is finally rewarded for her caution.
The stairs open up at the top to a room filled with broken furniture. Behind an overturned table are two young women aiming hand crossbows toward the door.
Zadira backtracks to the last place the party stopped on the way up and lets them know the position of their opponents before they go in.
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Eskander nods grimly, gripping the longspear tightly, Do you think we can talk them out of a fight? he asks nervously. RELAX BOY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR...but grandfather, I'm no hero like you were...NONSENSE! JUST CONCENTRATE ON THE SPELL, MAKE THEM STOP AND YOUR FRIENDS WILL POUNCE THEM...ummm, stop, I don't know....YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, THE MAGIC IS IN YOUR BLOOD.. Then silence in his head Grandfather? Kyrill? What magic? urgh... He nods grimly at the others, Okay, let's go then. mounting the stairs to the next landing behind the others.
Saria ponders Eskander 's suggestion for a moment before answering. "I don't think talking them down is really a viable option - even if they agreed, what would happen next? I don't think we'd be able to keep exploring safely with them at our backs. And I can't see them agreeing to anything that would neutralise them as a future threat. But it couldn't hurt to try, if you all think it's a good idea. I'm all for avoiding any bloodshed if you think it will work."
"If you want to engage them instead, I have some magic that might help protect me from their crossbows - I can go first and try to draw their fire, letting you all rush inside."
Saria ponders Eskander 's suggestion for a moment before answering. "I don't think talking them down is really a viable option - even if they agreed, what would happen next? I don't think we'd be able to keep exploring safely with them at our backs. And I can't see them agreeing to anything that would neutralise them as a future threat. But it couldn't hurt to try, if you all think it's a good idea. I'm all for avoiding any bloodshed if you think it will work."
"If you want to engage them instead, I have some magic that might help protect me from their crossbows - I can go first and try to draw their fire, letting you all rush inside."